"Smashed" - Review

Directed by: James Ponsoldt

Written by: Susan Burke and James Ponsoldt

Rated R for alcohol abuse, language, some sexual content and brief drug use

Release Date: October 12^th, 2012

Review by: Sean Kayden

“Smashed,” tells the cautionary tale about a young married couple who share a mutual connection to music, laughter, and drinking…especially drinking. The film, shot in just one month, first premiered at the 2012 Sundance Festival. It’s a very small human story and how the effects of alcohol have on people in all areas of life. While nothing expressed on the subject matter was entirely innovative, it was the small, intimate moments in the film that were great. However, those are few and far between while sometimes the film kind of just flows at steady, tame stream instead of erupting into anything wild and rampant. The lovely Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives a superb, genuine, and breakthrough performance as the protagonist. If anything, her acting prowess is worth the price of admission.

Winstead portrays Kate, an affable 1^st grade teacher who is struggling with her alcoholism (something she doesn’t think is a problem at first). Her husband, Charlie played by Aaron Paul, is an online music journalist that stays home all day writing and you guessed it, drinking. He doesn’t really see his drinking as a problem because frankly it doesn’t have the same negative effect on him, or so he likes to believe. Things start to unravel a bit when Kate vomits in front of her class and the kids inquisitively ask her if she’s pregnant. Without knowing how to answer them sincerely, she fibs by saying yes. She lets the lie carry on, which ultimately is going to be a problem. Mr. Davies (Nick Offerman), the vice principal, knows Kate was drinking (from a flask) prior to class as he spotted her doing so in the school’s parking lot. He confronts her about it, but doesn’t squeal on her. We soon find out this seemingly straight-laced middle-aged man is 9 years sober. He extends his hand out to Kate after things get worse with her extracurricular activities at home with her husband. He suggests accompanying him to AA. With slight trepidation, Kate attends the meeting and it ultimately becomes the first day of her new life. She forms a stronger friendship with Mr. Davies as well as finds a sponsor that’s super supportive. All is seemingly well, but things at home begin to deteriorate.

This was James Ponsoldt second feature film, which he co-wrote with Susan Burke. It’s a fine effort on his part coming from a script that has some weak spots. What really elevated the screenplay came down to the casting. Winstead isn’t going to be nominated for an Oscar, but she should score a much-deserved Independent Spirit Award nomination. She’s absolutely terrific as a young woman trying to save herself from self-destruction. Aaron Paul, mostly known for playing Jesse on the TV series “Breaking Bad,” is solid in this too. He really shines at the end in a deeply moving scene that leaves the viewer somewhat melancholy on their way out of the theater. Overall, I found “Smashed” to be decent and driven from mediocre to better than average with its wonderful lead actress, tender moments, and flashes of humorous lightheartedness. At any rate, the only thing that didn’t make sense to me was how Kate was having the most fun when drinking, but when she stops, it takes a toll on both her personal and professional life. Maybe happiness is neither found in recklessness or pure serenity. It could be that everyone needs to find middle ground between the spectrum of careless and carefree. “Smashed” is something like that, a middle of the road movie that is a reasonably commendable excursion, but the ride could have been so much more worthwhile if the pit stops along the way were extraordinarily out of the ordinary.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Published by Mountain Views News on November 3rd, 2012
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v06/htm/n44/p10.htm